‘All for show’: Republicans tear into supposed GOP defection

Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) announced on Monday that he is switching his party registration from Republican to independent — but a group of fellow Republicans are calling out his gesture as meaningless.

“It's all for show,” posted The Lincoln Project on Monday in response to Kiley’s announcement. “@KevinKileyCA is still backing Mike Johnson as Speaker, caucusing with the GOP, conceding their unpopular agenda and still going along with all their policies and insanity.”

The Lincoln Project, which is composed of Republicans who oppose the far right policies of President Donald Trump, added that Kiley is still “operating as a MAGA Republican, and hoping to fool you all. Don't be.”

Earlier on Monday, Kiley posted on the social media platform X that he is running for reelection in 2026 under the title “No Party Preference.”

"Today, I filed for reelection as 'No Party Preference,'” Kiley wrote. “This means I will not have a party affiliation on the ballot or as an officeholder. That’s how it already is with most offices in our state: mayors, city councilors, school board members, county supervisors, sheriffs, and DAs are all nonpartisan.”

One of the comments under Kiley’s announcement foreshadowed the Lincoln Project’s post, asking "Will you still caucus with the Republicans? Then shut up." Kiley has confirmed that he will caucus with Republicans for “administrative purposes” for “the remainder of this term.”

Kiley’s uneasiness about running as a Republican in 2026 speaks to the party’s broader concerns about its waning brand. Of the 53 House members and nine US senators who have so far announced they will not seek reelection, 37 are Republicans. The conservative magazine The Bulwark argued in February that Republicans can sense voters turning against Trump because of unpopular policies like the rising prices caused by his tariffs.

“Voters are rarely able to connect policy to outcomes, but they have done so in the case of tariffs,” The Bulwark's Mona Charen argued. “Back in 2024, Americans were about equally divided on the question of trade, with some favoring higher tariffs and roughly similar numbers opting for lower tariffs. Experience has changed their views.”

Trump is also losing support within his own base because of his recent war against Iran. While many Trump supporters want him to overthrow the religious authoritarian regime there, others are isolationist and wish to avoid American entanglements in foreign wars. Indeed, when Trump ran for reelection in 2024, one of his promises was that he would keep America out of these wars.